The Long Game
by Jynxisruler13
Summary: After the war Hermione, Luna, and Draco have to go back to Hogwarts for half a year to complete their educations. To make it more interesting Hermione and Draco Agree to play the game Dare. Lots of matchmaking, Weasley and Harry bashing when in the story.
1. Starting the Game

The war had been over for almost four entire months.

That meant four entire months of Hermione living with the Lovegoods.

Hermione had become close to Luna during her sixth year through the DA. So much so that after the war when Harry, the Order, and the Weasleys were too busy celebrating it all ending that they forgot about Hermione, Luna and her dad invited her to stay with them. She thought after a week maybe they would remember and she could go live with the Weasleys again, but that never happened.

Now it was August 25th, the day they got their Hogwarts letters. Sure it had taken a lot of hard work, but the magnificent school was rebuilt and fully functional again. All students had to go back for at least half the year as last year not much learning had actually taken place. Hermione woke early and helped Luna make breakfast for her father, Xeno. Halfway through all three were laughing at a joke Xeno had told when an owl with two letters with a Hogwarts crest were flown through to window.

"Well girls looks like your letters are here. Ready to go school supply shopping, I always love this time of year, the nargles fear the beginning of school."

"Sounds like Ron." Hermione supplied, Luna started laughing, and Xeno smiled at her as he retrieved the letters.

"Here you are Luna, Hermione. So let's hear it! Read it to me!" Xeno sighed dramatically. Hermione really did learn to love the Lovegoods the past four months, they were a very lively family; others thought they had just turned her as crazy as they were. The girls opened their letters quickly and scanned them. They started reading taking turns.

"Dear Luna Lovegood,

You are being welcomed back this year as an eighth year Ravenclaw for half the year. Please buy the following textbooks for this demi school year. Also bellow you will see the list of Hogwarts staff for the year, please send an owl with any questions or concerns and they shall be answered. You are also being awarded the privilege of prefect for the time being, thank you and have a great year at Hogwarts.

Minerva McGonagall,

Headmistress of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Wow they really need to spice things up. That had to be the most boring thing I've read this summer."

"Well what about teachers and you Hermione how did your letter go?"

"Well I got Head Girl; Head Boy is Dray. They are going to appoint new ones when we leave at Christmas." Draco and the girls had become good friends in the months following the war. He had apologized right after for all his transgressions, turns out he and Antonin Dolohov were spies, just like Snape. Hermione of course had known about Antonin since fifth year when he turned up just after cursing her and he healed her entirely.

"Oh goody! You can do what we were talking about last night!" Luna cut her off, she was smirking and Hermione joined her. Xeno looked a slight bit scared for the boy; he might love them both, but he knew they weren't the goody two shoes everyone thought they were.

"Plus it says here, to make us feel comfortable in sharing a common room, we can pick anyone to room with us for the year! Luna you're rooming with me in the Head's Suite." Luna nodded energetically. "Now the teachers list is as follows, wait there are too many. I'll just do the important ones; aka the ones we have and DADA because it's always changing. It's convenient we're both going into healing and taking the same courses.

"Okay so Charms: Filius Flitwick

Potions: Severus Snape

Herbology: Pomona Sprout

Transfiguration: Kali Nickels

History of Magic: Cuthbert Binns

DADA:" She paused at the name, of course it just had to be her biggest crush that was a new professor; at least she didn't need to take his class. "Antonin Dolohov." Luna gasped and smiled largely at Hermione.

"Okay, well we shall go to Diagon Ally in an hour to get your books. Oh and Hermione, if Luna tells you she will be playing matchmaker let her; it really is quite fun." He told them as he stood and left the room.

"I'm playing matchmaker." Luna stated. "I mean this is perfect! Antonin, your biggest crush, is going to be teaching this year, and we don't have him as a professor!"

"Fine play matchmaker; I just want to see you in front of Draco all year. You really do become mute in front of him. Maybe I will play matchmaker too, with you!" Hermione laughed as they ascended the stairs to the bedroom they shared. Sure there were plenty of rooms in the house but the girls liked rooming together, it was like a constant sleep over.

-o-o-

The girls and Xeno had gone shopping and were now on platform 9 3/4 saying goodbye.

"Boo." Draco said lamely when he walked up, they noticed he had a bloody nose, kind of hard not to when there is blood running down ones face.

"What happened to your face dray?" Hermione asked.

"Potty and the Weasel happened. They saw me loading a compartment for a first year and accused me of trying to corrupt them early. Then they punched me and I just left. I guess they didn't accept my apology as graciously as you did." He explained while Xeno fixed his nose.

"That's messed up." Luna said sadly. "Maybe we should prank them all year and reveal it was us at graduation."

"No they would suspect Draco first."

"Hey, Ferret; what did we just tell you? Nobody wants you here now scram." Ron told him as they approached; not even acknowledging who it was Draco was talking to.

"Well we want him here, and apparently so does McGonagall if he made Head Boy." Luna stated.

"Shut it Loony what do you know."

"A great deal more than you if her grades indicate anything." Draco supplied joining in to protect his secret crush.

"Well maybe if we weren't trying to save the school from filthy death eaters like you each year we would do better." Harry snipped.

"Hermione was helping and she's still top of our class and Head Girl and the smartest witch of our generation." Luna explained.

"Well Hermione barely did anything other than tell us to do our homework." Ron said

"Really, so you would've come to see me in the war, you would've known what a horcrux was and how to destroy one, and you would've known everything you needed to throughout the war without her help?" Xeno asked menacingly; he was a nice guy unless you harmed his daughters, and that's what Hermione was now; his daughter. Ron and Harry coward slightly and left for the other Weasleys while glaring at the quartet. Hermione, Draco, and Luna said their final goodbyes and went onto the train. They met Blaise Zabini, Draco's best friend and their new roommate, in the Heads compartment.

"Hey Blaise, how was your summer since we saw you last? You went to Italy right?"

"Yeah, it was great; met some beautiful women and some even better looking men." Blaise was bi-sexual and not afraid to show it, it always caused a laugh among the trio.

"That's nice Blaise; I don't want to know the details so spare me." Draco told him as he sat across from him. Luna took the seat between Blaise and the window and Hermione took the seat across from her.

"You know Hermione and I played a game for a week during summer. It was called Dare. For each day in our case you gave the other a dare and they would have the entire day to complete it. Hermione won of course as she was pretty sneaky; I swear if she wasn't muggle-born she would've been put in Slytherin before the hat even touched her."

"Dare huh? Are you guys playing again, maybe me and Blaise will join in?"

"Hey, don't volunteer me! I'm not playing with them!"

"I'm not playing but Hermione wants to. If she can find someone to agree she wants to play the school year one or two dares a month. I'm going to be officiator slash helper."

"I'll play and Blaise can be my helper slash officiator."

"Fine, this I can agree to, as long as I don't need to embarrass myself."

"You only participate in a dare if you choose to." Hermione assured him finally joining in.

"Good then it's settled. The first dare should be taken care of before the feast. I think this will just be a warm up one and not count as Septembers dare. We can exchange on the first of each month. Come up with your dares and shake hands." Luna planned.

"You could've just said it was Augusts dare." Blaise chimed in.

"Nope, that's too simple for Luna. I got mine when you've got yours Dray."

"Okay, you go first."

"I dare you to charm your hair electric blue for the school year, and you can't change it back later, only when you have permission from me." Hermione smirked.

"Dang, well okay then Blaise could you?" Draco asked indicating his head. Blaise did as requested, nodded, and conjured a mirror for Draco. "Huh, it actually looks good. Now Hermione, I dare you to Charm your school robes Slytherin Green for the rest of the school year, same conditions as my hair. Oh and you can't just get a new robe or not wear one." Hermione looked pale and Draco was smiling.

"Fine, but you need to help protect me from the other Gryffindors."

"This year will be very interesting." Blaise said and Luna nodded thinking of Antonin Dolohov and how to get the Russian to notice Hermione. The game would certainly help.

-o-o-

They had changed and Hermione had completed her dare, unfortunately as Heads they had to wait for the entire train to clear out and take the last carriage up to the castle, which meant a 'grand' entrance. As it was they also had to wait until after the first years were sorted and all four were to sit at a special table in the front as heads and 'deputy heads' of sorts.

"You know when we go in everybody's going to suspect we did this in a duel of some kind right?" Draco asked as the two waited for their cue. Luna and Blaise were already sitting at the small table and waiting for them. "Antonin is going to be laughing his pants off at my hair; he always said I looked messed up as a blonde."

"Are you and he friends or something?" Hermione asked curiously hoping she didn't sound eager.

"Antonin is like an uncle to me, he and Severus are friends and Severus is my godfather. I grew up around him in a way; he is a little younger than Severus so he was only a teenager when I was born, but still."

"And now allow me to introduce our head students Miss Hermione Granger and Mr Draco Malfoy." Cheers were heard and they entered the great hall, then silence. They both rushed to their table and sat. "Is you two fighting going to be a common occurrence?" McGonagall asked after the food had disappeared at the end of the feast and the only ones left were the teachers and the quartet waiting for their information and directions to their common room.

"Minerva I don't think they were fighting." Antonin said with a slight Russian accent.

"Isn't that right Draco?" Snape asked.

"Maybe we should tell the teachers; after all they won't know what is us and what's not." Blaise said.

"Nice going Blaise now they know!" Luna scolded slapping him on the head, the teachers looked on wide eyed at her abnormally lucid behavior.

"Well he's got a point." Draco protested.

"Just like your chin." Hermione joked; she heard two snorts from Snape and Antonin. "Whatever Luna, let's tell them; they look slightly suspicious now."

"Fine, but I think it would be more fun if they didn't know. Daddy knew and it took something out of it."

"Okay what's going on?" McGonagall asked getting fed up with the back and forth.

"Draco and I are playing a school year-long game of Dare. Each month, or every few weeks at least, we will dare the other person to do something. The player must complete the dare or lose the game and perform the forfeit; running through graduation day naked, except for the crest of the opposites house on their backs. Luna and Blaise are the helpers and score keepers of the game."

"As my first dare for Hermione she has to have her robe Slytherin green for the year and mine was to dye my hair this color for the year. Though I'm a little scared; Luna seemed scared to play and told us if Hermione wasn't muggle-born she would've been put in Slytherin before the hat even got near her head." They all turned to Hermione who was smirking.

"It was about to, but changed its mind due to my blood. I had the choice between all three of the other houses after that."

"Mine was similar. It really thought Slytherin but thought better of it. It gave up trying to call a house in a few seconds and just said Ravenclaw. I think it got sick of me changing my mind at the last second." Luna said innocently. The teachers were gaping at them and Antonin was laughing.

"Can we have our responsibilities now? And be shown our dorm, I'm quite tired, Xeno kept Luna and I up all night to help with the Quibbler." Hermione spoke, McGonagall looked at her curiously.

"Why were you staying with the Lovegoods instead of the Weasleys? Nothing against it but it is odd." She asked, Hermione's gaze turned to stone; a look that was only really ever seen on Slytherins.

"They left without me after the battle and didn't try to contact me all summer; none of the order did. That is except Draco, Luna, and Xeno. Draco stayed with us at the Lovegood residence for a week as well but other than that nothing. Actually I got a letter from Snape and Dolohov as well asking after me to see if I was okay after my torture. In short they didn't care enough about me to invite me."

"Oh, well here is the packet of your responsibilities and the drawing on the front will lead you to your common rooms. Try not to tell the other students their whereabouts." She said giving them a large envelope. They all smiled and Draco and Blaise started walking from the hall but turned by the door to wait for the girls.

"Look Luna they're behind the painting of Merlin!"

"The wizard? The Great Wizard? Are we going to see the great Wizard?!" She asked in a valley girl accent.

"Yes Luna, why yes we are!" Hermione responded they linked arms.

"To Oz?!" Luna asked.

"TO OZ!" Hermione exclaimed and they started skipping out of the hall singing very loudly.

"We're off to see the wizard! The wonderful wizard of Oz! We hear he was a wiz' if ever a wiz' there was! If ever, oh ever a wiz' there was the wizard of Oz is one because, because, because, because, because, because, because of the wonderful things he does! We're off to see the wizard! The wonderful wizard of Oz!" Draco and Blaise were on the floor laughing by the time they reached the end of the aisle.

"You need to stop watching musicals." Draco gasped out. Even a few teachers were chuckling Antonin and Snape included. They looked so innocent it set off more laughter between the boys. They looked at each other and left the room without them singing softly the entire time.

"This is too much to handle." McGonagall stated rubbing her temples.


	2. September

**If you recognize it it's not mine.**

One the first of September the four woke early and met in the common room. The past two days Hermione had been getting a lot of dirty looks for 'betraying her house' as Ronald had put it. She was starting to get scared of what people would be thinking by the end of the year, she was playing with a Slytherin after all.

"Okay, for starters I have a question. Are we doing one dare a month? Because I think we should do one big dare and like two little ones that aren't that bad; I mostly ask because I have a big one for you and a little one." Draco sat on the couch next to Blaise facing the girls.

"I think we could do it one big and a few smaller ones. The big ones we need to exchange immediately but the small ones don't need a set date or immediate retaliation. Now give me my two dares and say which is which."

"Okay then, for the small one I want you to go into the great hall singing a rocky horror picture show song and you can't sit until you've finished the song. You can have music if you want."

"I accept. Your main dare is to go to the kitchens and get cookies from the elves. Bring one to each professor; if they ask you have to say: 'I can't accept nor deny your claim of it being a dare.' Even if they only ask what kind of cookie it is." He nodded

"Fair enough, now your main dare is to goof off in Snape's class. You can choose when but make it a lab day and make it good. Try not to do it the same day I do the cookies. They might get suspicious."

"Deal, this will be fun; I need time to prepare though." Blaise looked slightly scared at her proclamation.

"So Hermione, what song will you be singing?"

"I think you mean 'we'. I'm not letting Hermione have all the fun! And I think one that will get the boys looking." Luna smirked and nodded to Hermione's questioning look, Hermione joined the smirk fest.

"Today?" Luna nodded "Can we start the song on the way if we do it during the time when everyone goes to breakfast and the teachers are in the hallway outside? We will make sure it draws plenty of attention." Hermione asked, she had a plan, Draco nodded.

-o-o-

Twenty minutes later Hermione and Luna were standing by the wall waiting for the rush of students when Dolohov and Snape approached them.

"When I looked through the responsibilities book for head students it said nothing about waiting for other students to enter the hall."

"They're up to something; what are you up to? Is it a dare?" Snape asked suspiciously. Draco had told them to meet him in the hallway outside the great hall before the student rush and he had a sense of fore bonding with the two girls seemingly waiting for something.

"Nope." Luna said

"Nope what?" Snape asked while Dolohov stared at Hermione who was looking down the hall.

"Just nope." Hermione muttered. "They're coming, get ready."

"Who's coming?" Dolohov asked curiously

"The student body; if you don't want to be the center of attention I suggest you go to the other side of the hallway." Luna told him knowing Hermione would be too tongue tied. They did as was told and Hermione conjured a crate big enough for the two small witches to stand on.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Hogwarts!" Hermione started

"Prepare for an epic song to be sung!" Luna shouted; everyone had stopped and looked wide eyed at a lucid Luna. The opening notes of Time warp started playing.

( _Luna,_ _Hermione,_ _ **both**_ _)_

 _It's astounding  
Time is fleeting  
Madness takes its toll..._

 _Ahh..._

 _But listen closely..._

 _Not for very much longer..._

 _I've got to keep control.  
I remember doing the Time Warp.  
Drinking those moments when  
The blackness would hit me._

 ** _And the void would be calling._**

 ** _Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again._**

 _It's just a jump to the left._

 _And then a step to the right._

 _With your hand on your hips._

 ** _You bring your knees in tight.  
But it's the pelvic thrust.  
They really drive you insane.  
Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again._**

The girls were really going all out with their performance and doing the correct dance moves; it did indeed get the boys looking.

 _It's so dreamy  
Oh, fantasy free me  
So you can't see me  
No not at all._

 _In another dimension  
With voyeuristic intention.  
Well secluded I see all..._

 _With a bit of a mind flip..._

 _You're into a time slip..._

 _And nothing can ever be the same._

 _You're spaced out on sensation_.

 _Like you're under sedation._

 ** _Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again._**

 _Well, I was walking down the street  
Just having a think  
When a snake of a guy  
Gave me an evil wink.  
Well it shook me up  
It took me by surprise  
He had a pick-up truck  
And the devil's eyes  
He stared at me  
And I felt a change  
Time meant nothing  
Never would again._

 ** _Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again._**

 _It's just a jump to the left_.

 _And then a step to the right._

 _With your hands on your hips._

 ** _You bring you knees in tight.  
But it's the pelvic thrust...  
That really drives you insane  
Let's do the Time Warp again_**.  
 ** _Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again_**

 _Ah! Oh! Oh! Yeoooww...  
Ahhhh._

 ** _Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again._**

 _It's just a jump to the left_.

 _And then a step to the right._

 _With your hands on your hips._

 ** _You bring your knees in tight.  
But it's the pelvic thrust  
They really drive you insane.  
Let's do the Time Warp again.  
Let's do the Time Warp again._** ****

By the end of the song they had made it into the great hall and were by their table. They had danced their way down the hall and up the aisle, bringing the entire student body following after them along with a few professors. They bowed once, sat down, and began serving themselves like nothing had happened; Draco and Blaise sat there laughing their heads off.

"Nice performance girls." Dolohov commented as he passed. The girls smiled while looking at their plates. At the end of breakfast their schedules appeared in front of them and the girls made sure theirs were the same before stealing the guys out of their hands. All four shared potions and transfiguration but only Luna and Hermione had matching schedules. The boys were taking easy classes that they would get straight O's.

"See you in potions boys; we're off to charms" Luna said. All the teachers and students left the great hall for their first period classes. Charms was boring for the girls as they had learned all this over the summer, so they spent the time plotting against Draco. When asked to perform the charm on the board they did so with ease and got to leave class early. They spent their free time gathering ideas and supplies for Snape's class in two weeks when Hermione would perform her dare. They made sure none of what they were doing could get her a detention which would make Snape furious.

Life continued like this for a week until Draco decided to do his dare. He had been asking low key questions about all the teachers' preferences all week and had collected the cookies. The only job he had to do was levitating them to the teachers table and drop them, Hermione had never specified they had to know it was him; he had a feeling a few would anyways.

Dinner had finished and the other students had just left when Draco covertly delivered the cookies to the teachers. They all looked surprised but only three ate them, the rest put them aside, and Dolohov and Snape glared at Draco. He had doodled a little smiling face on them and wrote 'you need to smile more' in pink frosting.

"What did you do to their cookies?" Hermione asked

"I just told the truth." Draco said as they approached with the cookies. They pulled up chairs and sat on either side of Draco placing the cookies on the table in front of him.

"Why did you get cookies that everyone else would like and give me this sugary crap?" Dolohov asked, Snape glared at him.

"He means why did you do this in general?" Draco winced while saying:

"I can neither confirm nor deny you claim that this is a dare." He said

"So it's a dare?" Dolohov asked.

"I can neither confirm nor deny you claim that this is a dare." He repeated. Hermione was only just containing her laughter at this point and Luna wasn't doing much better. Both were smiling broadly and red in the face when Dolohov looked at them.

"What's so funny?" Snape asked noticing what his friend was looking at.

"I can neither confirm nor deny you claim that this is a dare." Draco repeated again in a whiny voice pleading for them to stop asking questions. Blaise hadn't the reservations the girls had and was openly laughing at this point. He got up and left the great hall when tears came to his eyes; this broke the girls who fell to the floor in a pile laughing.

"So a dare, nice one Hermione; next time make sure to specify _good_ cookies." Dolohov said dragging Snape after him as he left. Draco looked at the girls on the floor and left the room. It was a long while before they returned to the room with big smiles.

"Hey Dray, I'm doing my dare the last week of September, but I have a small one for you. Make four other Slytherins do the electric slide in the great hall tomorrow at lunch; have fun." She said in passing.

-o-o-

Three weeks later the four Slytherins still were angry with Draco, but everyone else was happy for him and praising him for his work. Today was Thursday and the 30th of September; it was also the day Hermione would be pulling off her dare. Interestingly enough she wasn't nervous. To prepare she watched Snape all through breakfast and lunch before going to double potions.

He had glared at first, when she just smirked he looked unsettled and kept glancing back at her every few seconds. Dolohov was laughing at him until he'd seen who it was looking, then he just looked angry that her attention seemed to be on Severus. If he was honest with himself, something he rarely was, he'd say he had a crush on the girl; but that was wrong. She was only like 18 or 19, he was 31, and it was wrong. He kept telling himself; it didn't work.

Potions started when Snape strode in and put the potion instructions on the board, he told them to start, and Hermione just looked at him. Ten minutes later he walked over to her and looked at her empty cauldron. His eyes narrowed and he looked at her.

"Are you trying to fail?"

"Nope."

"Why aren't you doing the assignment?"

"I already did."

"Doesn't look like it."

"But it is, after all everything isn't always as it seems. Weren't you a spy for 20 years? Shouldn't you know this kind of thing?"

"Do the assignment."

"I did."

"Fine then fail the assignment and leave if you won't work; you're distracting the class."

"Actually I think it's you doing that by asking me questions and such." She told him as he went back to his desk. After loudly dragging her cauldron over to the storage area she dropped of her finished potion on the assignment rack and left the room, standing in the doorway watching.

"Miss. Granger, I told you to leave."

"I did. Now I'm just watching you to see if my potion is satisfactory for you." She told him. He looked at the potion rack expecting to see an empty vile but instead saw a perfect finished product. He knew she couldn't have bought it, when would she get the chance?

"It's perfect." He growled, she smirked and left the dungeons. On her way to her dormitory she ran into Dolohov who was walking the other way, towards the dungeons. He wouldn't look at her and wouldn't even say hi, he just kept walking. Usually she could count on him for small conversations in the hallway, now he was ignoring her. She wondered what had happened.

 _'_ _What if he knows I fancy him? He was a spy for like 10 years he could pick up on that! Oh no, he knows and doesn't feel the same; maybe he thinks I'm just a silly school girl.'_ All the worst thoughts were coming to Hermione.

So much was it worrying her she didn't notice Ron approach her. She certainly noticed him when he shoved her into an alcove and up against the wall. He pinned her with one hand on her neck closing off her airways and the other over her mouth.

"Look you little brat, you are nothing in this world. You are useless and a mudblood. You will not tell anybody about this and if you do or if you try I will ruin you. Do you understand me?" He whispered into her ear, she nodded and he dropped her to the floor and left. She stayed there and cried for a few moments before running to her common room, not understanding how things could go wrong already; it was only the end of September.


	3. October

**If you recognize it, it's not mine**

Hermione had been charming make-up on over the bruises Ron had left and hardly even remembered they were there. It had been three days since that had happened, Dolohov was talking to her again, and she was a little more recluse with everyone than normal but nobody seemed to notice. It was time to arrange the main dares for the month and Hermione had no clue what she would do for Draco's; she was just winging it. They decided to do the dares a few days late because they had an essay due on the first and everyone else in her dorm had waited until the last minute.

"Okay Hermione, end of the month Halloween feast. You need to let me choose your costume. You can't change it in anyway and you have to wear what I give you."

"Okay, umm for yours... steal Mrs. Norris for a day." Draco paled but agreed and they went their separate way for the day.

-o-o-

Hermione was very recluse in the next 2 weeks, Gryffindors were insulting her every chance they got, and she would just let them. Luna was getting worried but let it go, thinking Hermione would tell her if something was wrong. When Draco walked into the common room one night carrying a bag that was hissing and clawing Hermione seemed to brighten.

"Here you are, one Mrs. Norris. She stays in the bag; I don't really want to die today. I will return her to the great halls of Hogwarts tomorrow; for tonight she stays in the bag, in the shower." Draco announced and flopped down onto the couch. Hermione's neck had finally healed and she was ready to do her monthly dare, unfortunately she still had a week and a half to wait.

"You know you could have lured her with treats and she would've been much more accepting and accommodating." Luna stated

"Yeah but that's not proper stealing. Stealing is shoving something in a bag and making a run for it." Blaise said from beside Draco.

"Whatever, but why did you need to put her in our shower?" Hermione asked

"Well it was your idea."

"Yeah but it's your dare."

"Fine I will move her to mine and Blaises' shower, happy now?"

"Yes." The girls replied in unison.

The next day by the time Draco returned Mrs. Norris everybody had heard she had disappeared for the night, but nobody knew where she went. Some had suspicions but only four knew for sure. Those four weren't blabbing either.

It was a week until Halloween and Draco had noticed his honorary uncle's lack of attention on Hermione where there once was something. This seriously messed with his plan. He was going to get to the bottom of this if it killed him and with the people involved that was a real possibility. He went to see him on Friday night and asked to talk. The conversation lasted for an hour before Draco was kicked out because of curfew.

"Antonin, nobody who matters will care, and Hermione and you are used to ridicule by now. Suck it up and admit you like her."

"Maybe once she graduates Draco, or if you could use that Dare game of yours to figure out if she feels the same." Draco considered that option for a moment before leaving for the painting of Merlin. Maybe now he knew what to do for Novembers dare. First he needed to find the perfect costume for Hermione.

-o-o-

On Halloween Hermione woke and had the perfect dare to give Draco for the day. If the costume he'd left outside her door was bad; actually she would give him the dare either way, but that way it would be justified. Quietly she opened the door and took the box off the ground. After placing it on the bad and shutting the door she opened the box worrying slightly.

What was inside was the perfect definition of a slutty French maid costume. Oh yes, he was getting the dare. She had to wear this not only to the feast but on her rounds after the feast as well. This was going to be bad, she had a feeling something terrible would happen today, and she was determined it wouldn't be to her. She woke Draco and told him to get Blaise and meet her in the common room in 10 minutes.

"Okay, so in retaliation to the costume you're making me wear, I dare you to go into the great hall stand on the bench and profess your undying love for yourself, then go up to Snape, hug him, and run for your life. By the way it needs to be at the end of the feast. You can hide in the common room after that but it needs to be just before everyone leaves." Hermione said as soon as he sat down. He sighed but nodded.

That night when Hermione entered the great hall everyone went silent, people were glaring and ogling her, and it was slightly uncomfortable. She hurried to her seat and sat down waiting for the feast to begin. The one stare she refused to meet, no matter how much she wanted to, was Dolohov's. He made her far too nervous for just being in the same room as him. Just before the feast ended Draco stood reluctantly and got up on the bench.

"Ladies and gentlemen I have an announcement to make!" Everyone was silent and looking at Draco who was glaring at Hermione while speaking. "I am irrevocably and irreversibly in love... with myself." He bit out, jumping off the bench he ran around the teachers table hugged Severus and then did indeed run for his life. Most of the student body was still laughing on their way back to their common rooms. Hermione was just waiting in the great hall until it was past curfew to do her rounds.

She was all alone for rounds and was on her last floor, in the defense against the dark arts corridor, when she was shoved into an alcove and pinned then lifted from the ground by her neck.

"Hello Hermione. I lied when I told you nobody wanted you. Turns out I want you, I want you out of this costume and down on your knees. Let's get to it shall we?" Ron spoke in her ear; he dropped her and then pulled out his wand. She was faster though and cast _petrificus totalus_ at him. She knew it wouldn't last long and she could never outrun him, so she did the next best thing; she ran to the DADA teacher's chambers entrance. She pounded on the door begging Dolohov to let her in. Her dress was ripped from Ron pulling her and her struggling but she paid no mind, when she heard an aggravated groan. Knocking with a renewed urgency the door finally opened.

"What... Hermione what happened?" He asked wide eyed as he pulled her into his room and shut the portrait door. She was sobbing and hugging herself. He looked her over, her dress was ripped in several places, and she had fingerprint bruises forming on her neck and arm. Antonin gently led her to the couch and sat her down, he sat next to her and transfigured her dress into something longer and not ripped, and as an added measure he wrapped her in a blanket.

"Hermione what happened? I can't help if I don't know." He already had a clue as to the 'what' but he need to hear her say it. She fell against him and cried harder, he took the cue and held her close trying to calm her down enough to talk.

"Ron, he, I was doing rounds and he pulled me into an alcove again and he pinned me by my neck again and then he tried to rape me, I never thought I would need to go through that again. I stunned him but he woke up just before you opened the door." She gasped out her explanation and Antonin wanted to kill the weasel. Then he clued into her wording.

"Again?" he gritted out, she stiffened and tried to pull back, but he held her close. "Explain please."

"In the last week of September, the day Snape kicked me out, he pulled me into an alcove just after I saw you. He pinned me by the neck and lifted me from the ground. He called me a mudblood and told me nobody wanted me or would ever want me. Apparently he changed his mind tonight." She began crying again. "Please don't make me go back out there... he might be waiting."

"Shhh, I won't make you do anything. You can stay here tonight and I will send a message to your friends through Draco to tell them what happened. They need to know so they can help protect you from the other Gryffindors when Ron's gone to Azkaban and they blame you." She nodded and he sent a patronus to Draco. He had noticed she didn't elaborate on one part of the again but let it go. The rest of the night he held her while she cried herself to sleep. They both fell asleep on the couch and that's how Snape found them the next morning.


	4. November

**AN: If you recognize it, it's not mine.**

"You know if she was in your class this would be against the rules." Snape said loudly enough to wake Antonin but not Hermione.

"She was almost raped last night, she cried herself to sleep but even before she did she was too scared to leave the room. She ran from him to here as it was the closest chambers." Antonin whispered while looking sadly at the girl sleeping on his chest.

"Who tried to rape her? Did she tell you?"

"Yes, but I think maybe she would feel more comfortable if her friends were here. She said something though, she said the word again far too much for my liking."

"Why don't I go get her friends and some bruise removal paste while you wake her up?" After Antonin nodded Snape left the room.

"Hermione, time to wake up." she grumbled something unintelligible but sat up straight a second later.

"Oh my gods, sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep on you professor."

"We talked about this Hermione, in private call me Antonin; professor just feels wrong. And its fine, you went through a terrible night, the last thing you needed was the trek to the Heads quarters." The door opened, all her friends and Snape came into the room quietly; except Luna who just walked in singing _touch-a touch-a touch me_ from the _rocky horror picture show,_ she sat down on the couch, grabbed Hermione's hand, and whispered something in her ear. Hermione smirked and took the bruise removal paste from Snape. All four of the men sat in the couch facing them and waited for Luna to apply the cream.

"So do you mind explaining exactly who tried to rape you and why you're laughing about it?" Blaise asked; Draco and Luna were oddly subdued.

"Ronald tried and failed to rape me. So I'm laughing because this is like the third time someone's tried to rape me and they always say 'third time's the charm' or 'bad things happen in threes'."

"Third time?" Snape asked.

"Yes, the first was by Victor Krum, now his dick lives up to that name, and the second was from Greyback during my stay at Malfoy Manor. Of course Draco and Luna knew about those as I told Luna and Draco was there for the others to stop it."

"You stopped two rapes toward Hermione?" Antonin asked. "Wait Victor tried to rape you?"

"Yup, after he lost the tournament."

"Hey can you two keep secrets?" Luna asked

"You do know who you're talking to right? Two ex-spies."

"So that's a yes then. Time to exchange dares!" Luna exclaimed, Draco groaned.

"Go easy on me Hermione; I can't handle anymore electric slide madness."

"That wasn't even your main dare! Whatever fine, one second; Luna I've got a question for you." She whispered the question to Luna and she nodded. "Okay I've got your dare. Before I tell the world of Ron's transgressions, I want you to use your seductive skills and Blaises techniques to 'come onto' Ron. Flirt and do whatever you need to, I want a show." She was like the devil when she was wronged, and not always just to the person who wronged her.

"What the hell?" Snape said.

"Fine, but tit-for-tat Hermione; I dare you to kiss your biggest crush, in front of at least four people."

"If I did it right now would you give me a fun one?"

"Umm no, is your crush in the room?"

"Oh yes he is." Luna said dreamily. "Thanks for taking my idea."

"I knew you were behind this; traitor."

"Wait who's your crush?" Blaise asked.

"Just don't close your eyes and you'll know, you already know it's one of you four. Luna you ready to go back to the common for the day?" Luna nodded and Hermione stood she walked over to the boys and kissed Antonin right on the lips. He was so surprised he didn't respond, not that she gave him much of a choice as she was running from the room with Luna seconds later.

-o-o-

Hermione had been avoiding Antonin since the first of the month. It was getting harder because after two weeks filled with Draco hitting on Ron and then Ron getting taken to Azkaban for attempted rape, Hermione was running out of unfound hiding places. So that's why, with one full month and one week left of her school career, she was finding the dungeons very accommodating. She found a spot she thought nobody could find her and had been staying there for the past two days.

"Hello Hermione, you know if I didn't know any better I would say you were avoiding me." Antonin sat down across from Hermione on the floor and picked up one of her books, knowing she wouldn't leave without it.

"Well maybe I was, so what?"

"You know it's just not what I expected from the girl who sang and danced in front of the entire student body. I mean avoiding your crush because you kissed him? Ridiculous, if you ask me."

"I didn't and you should really think here. I am an 18 year old girl about to graduate, you are a 30 something year old man who is a professor at my school. Big age difference and it's not like you even like me. So why would I want to embarrass myself like that and what, just walk up to you for some small talk?"

"How about because if you did you would find out your crush likes you back?" Antonin asked but she was still ranting and hadn't heard him. He decided to take initiative and grabbed her face in his hands gently. He kissed her right on the lips and waited for her to respond; it didn't take long. Within seconds a kiss to shut her up turned into a full on make-out session. Eventually when air became scarce they separated.

"Does that mean you would agree to go out with me after you graduate and can leave school grounds?" He asked her.

"Yup, does that mean you actually like me back?" He smiled and kissed her gently again. He stood all of a sudden just seconds before Snape rounded the corner.

"Please take you're make-out sessions elsewhere Antonin." He rolled his eyes and turned to go the other way. Hermione was as red as a tomato and Antonin helped her gather her things. He walked her back to the heads dormitory and left her for the night.

Hermione was in the best mood for the next week and it was all thanks to her and Antonin's make-out sessions. They would meet to talk and such every other day and it always ended with them kissing. Now however she needed to think of two dares; one for the rest of the school year and one for graduation. They were exchanging both on December first.


	5. December

**If you recognize it, it's not mine. Also this is the last chapter of this story, i hope you enjoyed it well enough.**

"Good morning Draco, shall we get down to business?"

"Yes we shall, I dare you to kiss Antonin at graduation and expose your relationship with your head girl speech."

"I dare you to kiss your crush in the great hall at dinner time before graduation. And for graduation I dare you to not go up when your name is called for around three minutes then be like 'who me? My name is Hector the newest great wizard, not Draco I've fooled you all for years' maybe try to embellish it though."

"I dare you to do another mini concert before graduation; three songs this time and all done in the great hall during dinner, I already got the teachers permission for whenever you want to do it, good luck."

"Luna will you be joining me?"

"But of course!"

"Come, we must discuss songs and dates."

"Sounds good."

-o-o-

One week later and it was six days before graduation. Hermione had told Antonin about her dare and he just laughed it off. NEWT's were finished the day before and the 'eighth years' where just waiting for something interesting to happen. Lucky for them it was about to. Hermione and Luna stood on their table and yelled over the crowd.

"Hogwarts student body! At the beginning of the year Luna and I performed a song for you all!"

"Well now's the time for three more!"

"We hope you enjoy!" Hermione said and the music started for Mama's Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert started.

( _Luna,_ _Hermione,_ _ **Both**_ _)_

 _I cut my bangs with some rusty kitchen scissors_  
 _I screamed his name til the neighbors called the cops_  
 _I numbed the pain at the expense of my liver  
_ _Don't know what I did next all I know, I couldn't stop_

 _Word got around to the barflies and the baptists  
_ _My mama's phone started ringin' off the hook  
_ _I can hear her now sayin' she ain't gonna have it  
_ _Don't matter how you feel, it only matters how you look_

 ** _Go and fix your make up girl it's, just a break up run an'  
Hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady 'cause I  
Raised you better, gotta keep it together even when you fall apart,  
But this ain't my mama's broken heart_**

 _I wish I could be just a little less dramatic like a,  
Kennedy when Camelot went down in flames  
_ _Leave it to me to be holdin' the matches  
When the fire trucks show up and there's nobody else to blame_

 _Can't get revenge and keep a spotless reputation  
Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make  
My mama came from a softer generation  
Where you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face_

 ** _Go and fix your make up girl it's, just a break up run an'  
Hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady 'cause I  
Raised you better, gotta keep it together even when you fall apart,  
But this ain't my mama's broken heart_**

 _Powder your nose, paint your toes line your lips and keep 'em closed  
Cross your legs, dot your I's and never let 'em see you cry_

 ** _Go and fix your make up well it's, just a break up run an'  
Hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady 'cause I  
Raised you better, gotta keep it together even when you fall apart,  
But this ain't my mama's broken heart_**

They bowed and the next song started, by this point people were chuckling slightly. The tune for Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya started to play and the girls smiled to the boys at the table.

 _Could dress up, to get love  
But guess what?  
I'm never gonna be that girl  
Who's living in a Barbie world_

 _Could wake up, in make up, and play dumb  
Pretending that I need a boy  
Who's gonna treat me like a toy_

 _I know the other girlies wanna wear expensive things, and diamond rings  
But I don't wanna be the puppet that you're playing on a string  
This queen don't need a king_

 ** _Oh I don't know what you've been told  
But this gal right here's gonna rule the world  
Yeah that is where I'm gonna be, because I wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still, look pretty_**

 ** _You get off on your 9 to 5  
Dream of picket fences and trophy wives  
But no I'm never gonna be, cause I don't wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still look pretty_**

 _Mr. Right could be nice, for one night  
But then he wanna take control  
And I would rather fly solo_

 _Then Snow White  
She did right in her life  
Had 7 men to do the chores  
'Cause that's not what a lady's for_

 _The only thing that a boy's gonna give a girl for free's captivity  
And I might love me some vanilla but I'm not that sugar sweet  
Call me HBIC_

 ** _Oh I don't know what you've been told  
But this gal right here's gonna rule the world  
Yeah that is where I'm gonna be, because I wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still, look pretty_**

 ** _You get off on your 9 to 5  
Dream of picket fences and trophy wives  
But no I'm never gonna be, 'cause I don't wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still look pretty_**

 _Sure I'm a pretty girl up in a pretty world  
But they say pretty hurts  
And I don't wanna sit still  
I'm a pretty girl up in a pretty world  
But no I won't sit still, look pretty_

 _Sure I'm a pretty girl up in a pretty world  
But they say pretty hurts  
And I don't wanna sit still  
I'm a pretty girl up in a pretty world  
But no I won't sit still, look pretty_

 ** _Oh I don't know what you've been told  
But this gal right here's gonna rule the world  
Yeah that is where I'm gonna be, because I wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still, look pretty_**

 ** _You get off on your 9 to 5  
Dream of picket fences and trophy wives  
But no I'm never gonna be, cause I don't wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still look pretty_**

 _Oh I don't know what you've been told  
But this gal right here's gonna rule the world  
Yeah that is where I'm gonna be because I wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still, look pretty_

 _You get off on your 9 to 5  
Dream of picket fences and trophy wives  
But no I'm never gonna be cause I don't wanna be  
No I don't wanna sit still, look pretty_

 _Sit still, look pretty_

 _Sit still, look pretty_

 _Sit still, look pretty_

 ** _Sit still, look pretty_** ****

"For our last song, we figured we would sing you our favorite Christmas song!" Luna yelled, Yule Shoot Your Eye Out by Fall Out Boy started to play and the girls smiled at the teachers table.

 _These are your good years  
Don't take my advice  
You never wanted the nice boys anyway  
_ _And I'm of good cheer  
Cause I've been checking my list  
The gifts you're receiving from me  
Will be_

 _One awkward silence  
And two hopes you cry yourself to sleep  
Staying up, waiting by the phone  
And all I want this year is for you to dedicate your last breath to me  
Before you bury yourself alive_

 ** _Don't come home for Christmas  
You're the last thing I want to see  
Underneath the tree  
Merry Christmas, I could care less_**

 _Happy new years baby  
You owe me the best gift I will ever ask for  
_ _Don't call me up, when the snow comes down  
It's the only thing I want this year_

 _One awkward silence  
And two hopes you cry yourself to sleep  
Staying up, waiting by the phone  
All I want this year is for you to dedicate your last breathe to me  
Before you bury yourself alive_

 ** _Don't come home for Christmas  
You're the last thing I want to see  
Underneath the tree  
Merry Christmas, I could care less_**

 ** _Don't come home for Christmas  
You're the last thing I want to see  
Underneath the tree (don't come home for Christmas)  
Merry Christmas, I could care less_**

 ** _Don't come home for Christmas  
You're the last thing I want to see  
Underneath the tree _**_(_ _don't come home for Christmas_ _)  
Merry Christmas, I could care less_

"Thank you everyone! Have a good night!" Luna yelled as the girls sat back down.

"Well you did your dare, I guess I should do mine too." Draco said as he stood walked around the table to Luna and kissed her. However when he went to pull back she pulled him into Hermione's vacated chair beside her.

Hermione had left the table and watched as silence descended upon the hall as her friends kissed. She left the great hall intent on getting some kissing in herself.

Needless to say Luna and Draco were seen kissing in the hallways for the week leading to graduation. Sometimes it made Hermione wish she could do the same as them, but unfortunately she couldn't; not yet anyways.

-o-o-

It was now graduation day and Hermione was very anxious. She lay in bed next to Antonin, who she'd slept with for the first time the night before, and contemplated her dare and Draco's. He would be going first and Hermione was being called last, as it was tradition to start with head boy and end the ceremony with head girl. An arm squeezed her around the waist and Antonin spoke.

"Hermione, please stop thinking so early in the morning. I can practically hear it and it's waking me up." she giggled as his stubble tickled her neck. He kissed her and got out of bed for a shower. "You joining me or what?" he yelled out; she jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom graduation dares forgotten.

-o-o-

 _Of course Ginny is graduating early and the Weasley's are here. How could this day get worse!_ Hermione thought then took it back when she saw Antonin sitting on stage, and she got lost in his gaze as all thoughts vanished.

"Ladies and Gentlemen it is a great honor to graduate from Hogwarts and we have two graduating classes this year so this will just be a quick simple ceremony. So let's start with our head boy: Draco Malfoy, please come get you diploma and make your speech." McGonagall said. A few seconds later when he hadn't moved she called him again, looking through the crowd for him. She stared at him for a full three minutes before he finally stood and went to the stage.

"I'm sorry for all the confusion. My name is actually Hector and I'm the newest great wizard; not Draco I've fooled you all for years! You ignorant little fools have been so insolent these past few years, you will all pay! Beat that Hermione!" Draco yelled as he strutted across the stage, took his diploma, and sat again. The students and Xeno were laughing, as were some teachers but most others looked annoyed.

McGonagall went through the list until it was Hermione's turn.

"Last we have our Top Student in almost every subject overall, with a NEWT in each subject when she only took five this year, our Head Girl Hermione Granger!" Hermione walked to the podium and waited for the applause to stop before speaking.

"Hello all, now you're probably thinking I'm going to have a long speech; you're wrong. I am going to tell you two things and do one but first I need my diploma." McGonagall gave it to her; she smiled, and finished her speech. "First: I have a boyfriend that I will kiss on my way to my seat. Second: these past few months I've been playing a game called Dare with Draco; hence the mini concerts and the electric slide. Just keep in mind that he didn't need to do that dare but he did. Thank you, and have a nice life because I'm moving to Italy with Luna, Draco, and my boyfriend!" as promised on her way off the stage she stopped in the Slytherin section of teachers, a gasp went through the crowd when people thought she was dating Snape. She walked up to Antonin, sat in his lap, and kissed him on the lips for 20 seconds; a kiss he gladly reciprocated.

-o-o-

The year may have been crazy, but Hermione had had more fun in four months with her new friends than she had in six years with Harry and Ron. She and Antonin had moved to Italy during the summer with Draco and Luna. In the end they had three kids Anna, Sarah, and Robbie. Each went to Hogwarts and graduated top of their class from Slytherin; neither could've been prouder. She'd also reconnected with George Weasley when he moved to Italy to open a new branch of the Joke shop; he had kept it going in honor of Fred, as well as separated from the rest of his family calling them prejudiced assholes. Her last year at Hogwarts changed her life in a way and it was almost all for the better.


End file.
